Topband: Shunt fed tower grounded guy wires

[Bruce Lallathin]

Ken, you are feeding an electrically very wide radiator for the lower 
portion of the tower. If you break up the guy wires, you will have to 
retune the matching network for sure. If it were mine, I would break up the 
guy wires without hesitation.

Your best and most bang for the buck improvement will be to add about 10 
times the radials you have now. Even if you have to put down a bunch of 
chicken wire, 150'X3', and bond them to a ring of #6 copper about the base 
of the tower. You will add some very wide 150' radials that way and until 
they finally deteriorate due to corrosion will be a very effective ground 
screen. I did it and it works FB. Your bandwidth and losses to Mother Earth 
will be reduced greatly and your effective radiated power will be increased 
bunches.

Oh, I'm no 160M Guru. You are just benefiting from my experience here.

AA8U


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